Piotr Janas

BORN 1970, Warszawa

Piotr Janas, born in Warsaw in 1970, lives and works in his hometown. A student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1991 to 1996, graduating from the faculty of professor Jerzy Tchórzewski. One of his first important presentations was the exhibition Painters’ competition in 2001, and in 2003 his works were presented as part of an exhibition at the Biennale in Venice, whose curator was Francesco Bonami. Other crucial solo exhibitions include the presentation of works at the Wrong Gallery in New York in 2004, the Foksal Foundation Gallery in Warsaw in 2005, and the New York Bartolami Gallery in 2008. In 2010, Janas participated in the Villa Reykjavik project, where he presented his works on paper.

Hair, Shoulders, Frame

Piotr Janas’ artistic method is based on coincidence, for example created by putting two canvases together or an uncontrolled paint spill. And to such 'accidents', the artist adds deliberate action: painting, scratching or cutting the canvas. Coincidental forms are completed by allusions to the real world. His works often suggest something, bring something to mind, but never describe and surely do not explain. They are suspended between abstraction and figuration. Adam Szymczyk asked: “Why do you paint? Where does this come from?”, to which Janas replied: “It’s like diving and trying to find something in the mud at the bottom. I grasp something every once in a while, take it out and say «look!», then I go back under and keep looking for something new”. Piotr Janas’s works do not resemble what was presented in Polish art at the beginning of the 21st century, which at the time was dominated by paintings close to realism and critical art. His artistic practice used to be similar to surrealism, namely the works of Jerzy Tchórzewski, Erna Rosenstein and other artists from the 60’s and 70’s. Critics indicate Janas as the precursor of young artists, such as Jakub Ziółkowski, Tomasz Kowalski and Tymek Borowski.